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I'm finding at this time of year the wasps seem more attracted to sugar solutions. I did some reading on the little buggers and apparently they lick some sugar solution off their brood but in the fall there is not enough for them. The inverted top of the soda bottle works well. While I don't have hives I do have naturally occuring bees and it doesn't seem to be a problem. I think the bees seem to go from flower to flower of specific plants (alfalfa in my case) and pretty much ignore everything else.

I originally tried to bait bees with a feeder and all I got was a horde of wasps so I started to control their poplation with the traps.

Traps

I've used the Japanese Beetle traps and unless you put them quite a ways from your property you're putting out an attractant that only makes things worse. IMO if you put out Wasp/Hornet traps you will be adding to your problem unless they are so bad that you have no other choice.:confused:

Yellow jackets tend to start turning their noses up at meat that has gone bad (when it reaches the point where flies are going in and you're getting maggots). They like fresh stuff best. While any meat works, I've found the strongest attractant by far to be wet cat food; but it does require more frequent changing because it dries out pretty quickly.

The other thing that appeals to their sweet tooth--- overripe soft fruit. If you've got any grapes, apricots, peaches, etc that have popped or gone soft, they'll be all over it for the sugar.

I've used just about every kind of commercial and homemade yj trap with about every kind of bait you can think of, and I don't believe I've ever seen a honeybee in them.